Over the years, the surname was spelled both Casteel & Cassteel.
Son of Nathaniel Casteel & Mary Knabb. Murdered, with his bride, by highwaymen as he traveled to join his brother, James Cassteel, in Iowa.
The last time that Andrew and Nancy were seen alive was September 24, 1856 as they left a hotel in Leighton (which is between Oskaloosa and Pella) after spending the night. Their covered wagon, filled with household possessions, was pulled by four horses. It was rumored the Casteels had $800 in gold with them.
A local farmer, Thomas Beason, on a Sunday afternoon about the 10th of October 1856, was crossing a corn field enroute to a pasture where it was his custom to salt his sheep once a week. The corn had been cut up and was in shocks. As Mr. Beason went through the field he noticed a good many flies on a corn shock but paid no attention to it until going back home he noticed the flies again and thought that one of his sheep may have crawled into the shock and died. He pulled the corn apart and looked in and was horrified to find a woman in a decomposed condition. He reported the find to the authorities, and it was suggested that they make a search of other shocks in case there might be more bodies. In a shock about two rods from the woman was found the body of a man. The woman had been shot and her throat cut in two places. The man had evidently fought hard for their lives, as his hands had been cut on the inside in a great many places. The man had also been shot. Sometime in the fall of 1856, James Casteel, hearing of the murder, came to Montezuma and identified the couple as his brother, Andrew J. Casteel and wife.
Early in 1857, Wm. B. Thomas, commonly called Cumquick, residing in Polk county, not far from Des Moines, came home one evening very much intoxicated and shamefully maltreated his wife. There are two different versions as to who overheard the todo in the Thomas household, but they both agree that Mrs. Thomas was overheard to tell her husband that if he did not treat her better she would tell about the "Poweshiek county affair". A man named Morgan reported the incident to the authorities.
On June 13th, 1892 Dr. P.C. Mosier of Homer, Ill. wrote to the County Clerk at Montezuma, Iowa:
"Dear Sir, I have just had a modest grave stone properly lettered or engraved to the memory of A.J. and Nancy D. Casteel, to be set in place over their grave. It will be remembered by some of your older citizens that the above named persons were murdered by highwaymen in September 1856 and concealed in corn shocks near your town and that one Comequick alias Thomas was hung by lynch law as one of the supposed murderers. Will you please get some of your old citizens together and have them take charge of this stone and have it placed at the grave - It will be shipped soon by Clark & Saffel of Urban, Ill., to my address. But this letter shall serve as an order to parties who take the matter in hand. There will be some little expense attached to setting the stone in position but whatever it is I will see that it is paid. You have a man of your place who is engaged in the marble business, (I have forgotten his name.) It might be as well to get him to superintend setting the stone. It will be remembered that Mrs. Casteel was my sister and A.J. Casteel my brother-in-law. I have waited many years with the hope of getting some of Casteel's relatives to join me in erecting a more pretentious stone but failed. Please inform me when the stone arrives and what action is taken, and I would like a copy of any paper making mention of what is done. Respectfully, P.C. Mosier".
The victims had been buried in the same grave on the west side of the old grave yard, and no trace was left that indicated the exact location of the lonely grave. There was some concern that it might not be possible to identify the location of the grave. However, a Mrs. Moody located the grave in the south-west corner of the old cemetery, and the tombstone was placed in position.
The inscription reads: "A.J. and Nancy D. Casteel, Murdered by Highwaymen, Sept. 24, 1856, And concealed in corn shocks, aged: 25 and 22 years respectfully.
"A weathered gravestone is the only tangible evidence remaining of a gruesome episode in Montezuma, Iowa history that occurred in late September 1856. This stone is testimony of the murder of a young Indiana newly-wed couple--wed 7 Sep 1856 in Tippecanoe, Indiana--and a lynching of one of their assailants.
According to an old Montezuma Republican (newspaper) account of the tragedy, Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Casteel, both in their 20s, were enroute by covered wagon from Lafayette, Indiana to Boone County, Iowa, and the last time they were seen alive was on September 24, 1856, as they left a hotel in Leighton after spending the night. Their covered wagon, filled with household possessions, was pulled by four horses. It was rumored the Casteels had $800 in gold with them.*
Some time after their stopover at Leighton (which is between Oskaloosa and Pella) a farmer discovered the badly decomposed bodies of the Casteels in some corn shocks on a farm west of Montezuma. Authorities investigated and two suspects were hunted for the murders but their trails went cold.
Months later, one of the suspects, W. B. Thomas, alias Cumquick, was apprehended at Four Mile Run, just east of Des Moines. He had come home intoxicated and began to abuse his wife who threatened to tell all she knew about that Poweshiek county affair. Their conversation was overheard by a family who shared a house with them and told to authorities.
Thomas, or Cumquick, as he is better known to local historians, was brought to Montezuma for trial. Feeling was still intense here about the murders and a mob stormed the jail and took Cumquick. He was ridden on a rail to west of Montezuma where he was hanged from a tree.
The other suspect in the case was never caught, but years later it was reported he was hanged in Nebraska for horse stealing.
The inscription on the gravestone--erected in 1892 by Nancy's brother--reads: A.J. and Nancy D. Casteel -- murdered by Highwayman September 24, 1856 and concealed in corn shocks -- aged 25 and 22 years respectfully.
Andrew was the son of Nathaniel Casteel 1797–1830 and Mary Knabb 1800–1849, according to different family trees posted on Ancestry.com). Andrew married 7 September 1856 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, to Nancy D. Mosier; and the bride and groom headed to his brother in Boone County, Iowa, in their covered wagon loaded with all their worldly goods.
*The only inflation calculator I could readily find for 1856 stopped at 2016. It said the value of $1 in 1856 was $29.55 in 2016. Accordingly, $800 in 1856 projects to $23,640 in 2016.
Son of Nathaniel Casteel & Mary Knabb. Murdered, with his bride, by highwaymen as he traveled to join his brother, James Cassteel, in Iowa.
The last time that Andrew and Nancy were seen alive was September 24, 1856 as they left a hotel in Leighton (which is between Oskaloosa and Pella) after spending the night. Their covered wagon, filled with household possessions, was pulled by four horses. It was rumored the Casteels had $800 in gold with them.
A local farmer, Thomas Beason, on a Sunday afternoon about the 10th of October 1856, was crossing a corn field enroute to a pasture where it was his custom to salt his sheep once a week. The corn had been cut up and was in shocks. As Mr. Beason went through the field he noticed a good many flies on a corn shock but paid no attention to it until going back home he noticed the flies again and thought that one of his sheep may have crawled into the shock and died. He pulled the corn apart and looked in and was horrified to find a woman in a decomposed condition. He reported the find to the authorities, and it was suggested that they make a search of other shocks in case there might be more bodies. In a shock about two rods from the woman was found the body of a man. The woman had been shot and her throat cut in two places. The man had evidently fought hard for their lives, as his hands had been cut on the inside in a great many places. The man had also been shot. Sometime in the fall of 1856, James Casteel, hearing of the murder, came to Montezuma and identified the couple as his brother, Andrew J. Casteel and wife.
Early in 1857, Wm. B. Thomas, commonly called Cumquick, residing in Polk county, not far from Des Moines, came home one evening very much intoxicated and shamefully maltreated his wife. There are two different versions as to who overheard the todo in the Thomas household, but they both agree that Mrs. Thomas was overheard to tell her husband that if he did not treat her better she would tell about the "Poweshiek county affair". A man named Morgan reported the incident to the authorities.
On June 13th, 1892 Dr. P.C. Mosier of Homer, Ill. wrote to the County Clerk at Montezuma, Iowa:
"Dear Sir, I have just had a modest grave stone properly lettered or engraved to the memory of A.J. and Nancy D. Casteel, to be set in place over their grave. It will be remembered by some of your older citizens that the above named persons were murdered by highwaymen in September 1856 and concealed in corn shocks near your town and that one Comequick alias Thomas was hung by lynch law as one of the supposed murderers. Will you please get some of your old citizens together and have them take charge of this stone and have it placed at the grave - It will be shipped soon by Clark & Saffel of Urban, Ill., to my address. But this letter shall serve as an order to parties who take the matter in hand. There will be some little expense attached to setting the stone in position but whatever it is I will see that it is paid. You have a man of your place who is engaged in the marble business, (I have forgotten his name.) It might be as well to get him to superintend setting the stone. It will be remembered that Mrs. Casteel was my sister and A.J. Casteel my brother-in-law. I have waited many years with the hope of getting some of Casteel's relatives to join me in erecting a more pretentious stone but failed. Please inform me when the stone arrives and what action is taken, and I would like a copy of any paper making mention of what is done. Respectfully, P.C. Mosier".
The victims had been buried in the same grave on the west side of the old grave yard, and no trace was left that indicated the exact location of the lonely grave. There was some concern that it might not be possible to identify the location of the grave. However, a Mrs. Moody located the grave in the south-west corner of the old cemetery, and the tombstone was placed in position.
The inscription reads: "A.J. and Nancy D. Casteel, Murdered by Highwaymen, Sept. 24, 1856, And concealed in corn shocks, aged: 25 and 22 years respectfully.
"A weathered gravestone is the only tangible evidence remaining of a gruesome episode in Montezuma, Iowa history that occurred in late September 1856. This stone is testimony of the murder of a young Indiana newly-wed couple--wed 7 Sep 1856 in Tippecanoe, Indiana--and a lynching of one of their assailants.
According to an old Montezuma Republican (newspaper) account of the tragedy, Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Casteel, both in their 20s, were enroute by covered wagon from Lafayette, Indiana to Boone County, Iowa, and the last time they were seen alive was on September 24, 1856, as they left a hotel in Leighton after spending the night. Their covered wagon, filled with household possessions, was pulled by four horses. It was rumored the Casteels had $800 in gold with them.*
Some time after their stopover at Leighton (which is between Oskaloosa and Pella) a farmer discovered the badly decomposed bodies of the Casteels in some corn shocks on a farm west of Montezuma. Authorities investigated and two suspects were hunted for the murders but their trails went cold.
Months later, one of the suspects, W. B. Thomas, alias Cumquick, was apprehended at Four Mile Run, just east of Des Moines. He had come home intoxicated and began to abuse his wife who threatened to tell all she knew about that Poweshiek county affair. Their conversation was overheard by a family who shared a house with them and told to authorities.
Thomas, or Cumquick, as he is better known to local historians, was brought to Montezuma for trial. Feeling was still intense here about the murders and a mob stormed the jail and took Cumquick. He was ridden on a rail to west of Montezuma where he was hanged from a tree.
The other suspect in the case was never caught, but years later it was reported he was hanged in Nebraska for horse stealing.
The inscription on the gravestone--erected in 1892 by Nancy's brother--reads: A.J. and Nancy D. Casteel -- murdered by Highwayman September 24, 1856 and concealed in corn shocks -- aged 25 and 22 years respectfully.
Andrew was the son of Nathaniel Casteel 1797–1830 and Mary Knabb 1800–1849, according to different family trees posted on Ancestry.com). Andrew married 7 September 1856 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, to Nancy D. Mosier; and the bride and groom headed to his brother in Boone County, Iowa, in their covered wagon loaded with all their worldly goods.
*The only inflation calculator I could readily find for 1856 stopped at 2016. It said the value of $1 in 1856 was $29.55 in 2016. Accordingly, $800 in 1856 projects to $23,640 in 2016.
Over the years, the surname was spelled both Casteel & Cassteel.
Son of Nathaniel Casteel & Mary Knabb. Murdered, with his bride, by highwaymen as he traveled to join his brother, James Cassteel, in Iowa.
The last time that Andrew and Nancy were seen alive was September 24, 1856 as they left a hotel in Leighton (which is between Oskaloosa and Pella) after spending the night. Their covered wagon, filled with household possessions, was pulled by four horses. It was rumored the Casteels had $800 in gold with them.
A local farmer, Thomas Beason, on a Sunday afternoon about the 10th of October 1856, was crossing a corn field enroute to a pasture where it was his custom to salt his sheep once a week. The corn had been cut up and was in shocks. As Mr. Beason went through the field he noticed a good many flies on a corn shock but paid no attention to it until going back home he noticed the flies again and thought that one of his sheep may have crawled into the shock and died. He pulled the corn apart and looked in and was horrified to find a woman in a decomposed condition. He reported the find to the authorities, and it was suggested that they make a search of other shocks in case there might be more bodies. In a shock about two rods from the woman was found the body of a man. The woman had been shot and her throat cut in two places. The man had evidently fought hard for their lives, as his hands had been cut on the inside in a great many places. The man had also been shot. Sometime in the fall of 1856, James Casteel, hearing of the murder, came to Montezuma and identified the couple as his brother, Andrew J. Casteel and wife.
Early in 1857, Wm. B. Thomas, commonly called Cumquick, residing in Polk county, not far from Des Moines, came home one evening very much intoxicated and shamefully maltreated his wife. There are two different versions as to who overheard the todo in the Thomas household, but they both agree that Mrs. Thomas was overheard to tell her husband that if he did not treat her better she would tell about the "Poweshiek county affair". A man named Morgan reported the incident to the authorities.
On June 13th, 1892 Dr. P.C. Mosier of Homer, Ill. wrote to the County Clerk at Montezuma, Iowa:
"Dear Sir, I have just had a modest grave stone properly lettered or engraved to the memory of A.J. and Nancy D. Casteel, to be set in place over their grave. It will be remembered by some of your older citizens that the above named persons were murdered by highwaymen in September 1856 and concealed in corn shocks near your town and that one Comequick alias Thomas was hung by lynch law as one of the supposed murderers. Will you please get some of your old citizens together and have them take charge of this stone and have it placed at the grave - It will be shipped soon by Clark & Saffel of Urban, Ill., to my address. But this letter shall serve as an order to parties who take the matter in hand. There will be some little expense attached to setting the stone in position but whatever it is I will see that it is paid. You have a man of your place who is engaged in the marble business, (I have forgotten his name.) It might be as well to get him to superintend setting the stone. It will be remembered that Mrs. Casteel was my sister and A.J. Casteel my brother-in-law. I have waited many years with the hope of getting some of Casteel's relatives to join me in erecting a more pretentious stone but failed. Please inform me when the stone arrives and what action is taken, and I would like a copy of any paper making mention of what is done. Respectfully, P.C. Mosier".
The victims had been buried in the same grave on the west side of the old grave yard, and no trace was left that indicated the exact location of the lonely grave. There was some concern that it might not be possible to identify the location of the grave. However, a Mrs. Moody located the grave in the south-west corner of the old cemetery, and the tombstone was placed in position.
The inscription reads: "A.J. and Nancy D. Casteel, Murdered by Highwaymen, Sept. 24, 1856, And concealed in corn shocks, aged: 25 and 22 years respectfully.
"A weathered gravestone is the only tangible evidence remaining of a gruesome episode in Montezuma, Iowa history that occurred in late September 1856. This stone is testimony of the murder of a young Indiana newly-wed couple--wed 7 Sep 1856 in Tippecanoe, Indiana--and a lynching of one of their assailants.
According to an old Montezuma Republican (newspaper) account of the tragedy, Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Casteel, both in their 20s, were enroute by covered wagon from Lafayette, Indiana to Boone County, Iowa, and the last time they were seen alive was on September 24, 1856, as they left a hotel in Leighton after spending the night. Their covered wagon, filled with household possessions, was pulled by four horses. It was rumored the Casteels had $800 in gold with them.*
Some time after their stopover at Leighton (which is between Oskaloosa and Pella) a farmer discovered the badly decomposed bodies of the Casteels in some corn shocks on a farm west of Montezuma. Authorities investigated and two suspects were hunted for the murders but their trails went cold.
Months later, one of the suspects, W. B. Thomas, alias Cumquick, was apprehended at Four Mile Run, just east of Des Moines. He had come home intoxicated and began to abuse his wife who threatened to tell all she knew about that Poweshiek county affair. Their conversation was overheard by a family who shared a house with them and told to authorities.
Thomas, or Cumquick, as he is better known to local historians, was brought to Montezuma for trial. Feeling was still intense here about the murders and a mob stormed the jail and took Cumquick. He was ridden on a rail to west of Montezuma where he was hanged from a tree.
The other suspect in the case was never caught, but years later it was reported he was hanged in Nebraska for horse stealing.
The inscription on the gravestone--erected in 1892 by Nancy's brother--reads: A.J. and Nancy D. Casteel -- murdered by Highwayman September 24, 1856 and concealed in corn shocks -- aged 25 and 22 years respectfully.
Andrew was the son of Nathaniel Casteel 1797–1830 and Mary Knabb 1800–1849, according to different family trees posted on Ancestry.com). Andrew married 7 September 1856 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, to Nancy D. Mosier; and the bride and groom headed to his brother in Boone County, Iowa, in their covered wagon loaded with all their worldly goods.
*The only inflation calculator I could readily find for 1856 stopped at 2016. It said the value of $1 in 1856 was $29.55 in 2016. Accordingly, $800 in 1856 projects to $23,640 in 2016.
Son of Nathaniel Casteel & Mary Knabb. Murdered, with his bride, by highwaymen as he traveled to join his brother, James Cassteel, in Iowa.
The last time that Andrew and Nancy were seen alive was September 24, 1856 as they left a hotel in Leighton (which is between Oskaloosa and Pella) after spending the night. Their covered wagon, filled with household possessions, was pulled by four horses. It was rumored the Casteels had $800 in gold with them.
A local farmer, Thomas Beason, on a Sunday afternoon about the 10th of October 1856, was crossing a corn field enroute to a pasture where it was his custom to salt his sheep once a week. The corn had been cut up and was in shocks. As Mr. Beason went through the field he noticed a good many flies on a corn shock but paid no attention to it until going back home he noticed the flies again and thought that one of his sheep may have crawled into the shock and died. He pulled the corn apart and looked in and was horrified to find a woman in a decomposed condition. He reported the find to the authorities, and it was suggested that they make a search of other shocks in case there might be more bodies. In a shock about two rods from the woman was found the body of a man. The woman had been shot and her throat cut in two places. The man had evidently fought hard for their lives, as his hands had been cut on the inside in a great many places. The man had also been shot. Sometime in the fall of 1856, James Casteel, hearing of the murder, came to Montezuma and identified the couple as his brother, Andrew J. Casteel and wife.
Early in 1857, Wm. B. Thomas, commonly called Cumquick, residing in Polk county, not far from Des Moines, came home one evening very much intoxicated and shamefully maltreated his wife. There are two different versions as to who overheard the todo in the Thomas household, but they both agree that Mrs. Thomas was overheard to tell her husband that if he did not treat her better she would tell about the "Poweshiek county affair". A man named Morgan reported the incident to the authorities.
On June 13th, 1892 Dr. P.C. Mosier of Homer, Ill. wrote to the County Clerk at Montezuma, Iowa:
"Dear Sir, I have just had a modest grave stone properly lettered or engraved to the memory of A.J. and Nancy D. Casteel, to be set in place over their grave. It will be remembered by some of your older citizens that the above named persons were murdered by highwaymen in September 1856 and concealed in corn shocks near your town and that one Comequick alias Thomas was hung by lynch law as one of the supposed murderers. Will you please get some of your old citizens together and have them take charge of this stone and have it placed at the grave - It will be shipped soon by Clark & Saffel of Urban, Ill., to my address. But this letter shall serve as an order to parties who take the matter in hand. There will be some little expense attached to setting the stone in position but whatever it is I will see that it is paid. You have a man of your place who is engaged in the marble business, (I have forgotten his name.) It might be as well to get him to superintend setting the stone. It will be remembered that Mrs. Casteel was my sister and A.J. Casteel my brother-in-law. I have waited many years with the hope of getting some of Casteel's relatives to join me in erecting a more pretentious stone but failed. Please inform me when the stone arrives and what action is taken, and I would like a copy of any paper making mention of what is done. Respectfully, P.C. Mosier".
The victims had been buried in the same grave on the west side of the old grave yard, and no trace was left that indicated the exact location of the lonely grave. There was some concern that it might not be possible to identify the location of the grave. However, a Mrs. Moody located the grave in the south-west corner of the old cemetery, and the tombstone was placed in position.
The inscription reads: "A.J. and Nancy D. Casteel, Murdered by Highwaymen, Sept. 24, 1856, And concealed in corn shocks, aged: 25 and 22 years respectfully.
"A weathered gravestone is the only tangible evidence remaining of a gruesome episode in Montezuma, Iowa history that occurred in late September 1856. This stone is testimony of the murder of a young Indiana newly-wed couple--wed 7 Sep 1856 in Tippecanoe, Indiana--and a lynching of one of their assailants.
According to an old Montezuma Republican (newspaper) account of the tragedy, Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Casteel, both in their 20s, were enroute by covered wagon from Lafayette, Indiana to Boone County, Iowa, and the last time they were seen alive was on September 24, 1856, as they left a hotel in Leighton after spending the night. Their covered wagon, filled with household possessions, was pulled by four horses. It was rumored the Casteels had $800 in gold with them.*
Some time after their stopover at Leighton (which is between Oskaloosa and Pella) a farmer discovered the badly decomposed bodies of the Casteels in some corn shocks on a farm west of Montezuma. Authorities investigated and two suspects were hunted for the murders but their trails went cold.
Months later, one of the suspects, W. B. Thomas, alias Cumquick, was apprehended at Four Mile Run, just east of Des Moines. He had come home intoxicated and began to abuse his wife who threatened to tell all she knew about that Poweshiek county affair. Their conversation was overheard by a family who shared a house with them and told to authorities.
Thomas, or Cumquick, as he is better known to local historians, was brought to Montezuma for trial. Feeling was still intense here about the murders and a mob stormed the jail and took Cumquick. He was ridden on a rail to west of Montezuma where he was hanged from a tree.
The other suspect in the case was never caught, but years later it was reported he was hanged in Nebraska for horse stealing.
The inscription on the gravestone--erected in 1892 by Nancy's brother--reads: A.J. and Nancy D. Casteel -- murdered by Highwayman September 24, 1856 and concealed in corn shocks -- aged 25 and 22 years respectfully.
Andrew was the son of Nathaniel Casteel 1797–1830 and Mary Knabb 1800–1849, according to different family trees posted on Ancestry.com). Andrew married 7 September 1856 in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, to Nancy D. Mosier; and the bride and groom headed to his brother in Boone County, Iowa, in their covered wagon loaded with all their worldly goods.
*The only inflation calculator I could readily find for 1856 stopped at 2016. It said the value of $1 in 1856 was $29.55 in 2016. Accordingly, $800 in 1856 projects to $23,640 in 2016.
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